BRITISH SPONGIAD^. 233 



Locality. — Scarborough, Mr. Bean. 

 Examined. — When dry. 



This sponge coats the greater part of the surface of a 

 piece of sandstone nearly four inches square, but does not 

 exceed the eighth of an inch in thickness at any part, and 

 in its dry coHdition it might readily be mistaken for a 

 coating specimen of Halichondria panicea when only super- 

 ficially examined ; but the peculiar glabrous appearance of 

 the surface readily distinguishes it from that species, and 

 especially if a lens be used to examine it. The oscula are 

 few in number and small, and the groups are widely dis- 

 persed. The spicula of the skeleton are half as long 

 again as those of H. panicea, more slender and disposed to 

 be flexuous, and from the condition of these organs the 

 general texture of the interior of the sponge is coarser and 

 more open. The dermal membrane is somewhat thicker, 

 and the number of the pores very much fewer than in H. 

 panicea, and there does not appear in the specimen ex- 

 amined the slightest tendency to elevation of the oscula. 



3. Halichonduia angui,ata, Bowerbank. 



Sponge. Massive, sessile. Surface smooth. Oscula 

 simple, dispersed. Pores inconspicuous. Dermal 

 membrane translucent, furnished with a unispiculous 

 network ; spicula acerate, same size as those of the 

 skeleton ; and also with small and very slender acerate, 

 and sub-angulated tricurvate acerate tension spicula, 

 rather numerous. Skeleton. Rete rather irregular, 

 occasionally multi-spiculous ; spicula acerate. Ten- 

 sion spicula, acerate, small and slender, and sub- 

 angulated tricurvate acerate spicula. 



Colour. — Driedj light gray. 



Habitat. — Guernsey, Rev. A. M. Norman. 



Examined. — In the dried state. 



